News

Hickory Construction Announces Promotion of Key Leaders

Hickory Construction, Inc., a licensed general contractor headquartered in Alcoa, Tenn., announced today the promotion of several key employees to new roles – including the transition of executive leadership from father to son in the nearly 40-year-old firm, which includes 70 employees overall.

Burke Pinnell, who served as company president and one of its partners, has been appointed to chairman of the board. Pinnell has played a primary role at Hickory Construction for many years, since joining the company in 1978 to its current status as one of the most respected general contractors in the region.

Burke Pinnell graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in landscape architecture and has served on the board of directors of the Girls Club of Blount County, the Maryville-Alcoa Home Builders Association, the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, the Foothills Land Conservancy and currently serves as a board member of Clayton-Bradley Academy and the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America. As chairman of the Hickory Construction board, Pinnell will maintain an active role in the company.

Ben Pinnell, who was named company vice president in 2015, has been promoted to president. More than a decade ago, Ben Pinnell started his career with Hickory Construction as a carpenter and worked his way up the ranks, serving as a superintendent and later as a project manager.

Named one of the Greater Knoxville Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2012, Ben Pinnell’s credentials include a certification as a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Professional and as a Live Roof Certified Installer. His sustainability background helped spearhead Hickory’s green building processes and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects. Ben Pinnell holds a bachelor’s degree from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and serves on the board of directors of The Children’s Center of Knoxville.

Jim McMillan has been promoted from vice president of operations to executive vice president of the company. With over 30 years of experience at Hickory Construction, McMillan has been instrumental in developing the company’s direction, strategic plan and many other key roles, working his way from an apprentice carpenter to foreman to field manager before entering his nearly twenty year career heading human resources and operations. McMillan is a Navy veteran and a volunteer and past member of the board of directors for Blount County Habitat for Humanity.

Chris Duncan, formerly a project manager, has been promoted to vice president of commercial operations. Serving in the construction industry for nearly 30 years, Duncan joined Hickory Construction in 2005 as a project manager. Prior to that, he spent seven years working in a similar capacity for another regional construction firm. Duncan is a graduate of Northwestern Business College in Ohio.

These leaders join Vice President of Marketing John McMillan in serving as the executive leadership team of Hickory Construction.

“It’s tremendously rewarding to see such valued members of our team ascend to these critical roles in our company, based on the impressive merit of their contributions over the decades,” said Chairman of the Board Burke Pinnell. “We feel this transition will enable our company to grow and continue its sustained reputation as a premier general contractor, on the basis of trust and performance.”

“Hickory Construction has been part of my entire life – certainly during my growing-up years in seeing how my dad made his living, and then 10 years ago with my own opportunity to be part of this company as well,” said President Ben Pinnell. “The opportunity to serve the quality team we have at Hickory Construction is a career milestone that I take very seriously, and I look forward to advancing this team with the same spirit that originated with the company almost 40 years ago.”

For more information on Hickory Construction, visit hickoryconstruction.com.